In gurney, wearing hospital gown, man given murder charge in wife's stabbing death

Friday

Aug 1, 2014 at 7:30 AMAug 1, 2014 at 7:30 AM

A Highland Falls man arrived Thursday at Orange County Court on a gurney to be arraigned on murder charges in his wife's stabbing death.

Heather Yakin

GOSHEN - A Highland Falls man arrived Thursday at Orange County Court on a gurney to be arraigned on murder charges in his wife's stabbing death.

On June 20, Junco Salters, 62, was fatally stabbed in the Highland Falls apartment she and her husband Leonard Salters shared. Leonard Salters, 52, fled the scene and crashed his car in New Jersey and has been hospitalized there for his crash injuries. Orange County authorities lodged a second-degree murder warrant against him, and on July 2 a grand jury indicted him on felony counts of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter.

On Thursday, Leonard Salters was brought to Orange County Court to answer the charges. He was rolled into the courthouse on a gurney by Mobile Life Support Services EMTs, flanked by investigators from New York State Police and the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Salters wore a neck brace and had casts on both legs and at least one arm. Clad in a hospital gown and covered with blankets, he stayed on the gurney for the entire proceeding.

His lawyer, Gary Abramson of the Orange County Legal Aid Society, entered a "not guilty" plea on his behalf.

Senior Assistant District Attorney David Byrne asked Judge Robert Freehill to either hold Salters without bail or to set bail at $1 million.

Salters has four previous felony convictions in New Jersey, including for robbery and attempted aggravated assault, Byrne said, and a number of misdemeanor convictions. He has been to prison. He has been on probation and parole and violated both, Byrne said. Immediately after the stabbing on June 20, Byrne told the judge, Salters evaded police who tried to stop him and drove his car in the dark without headlights, to elude pursuit. Salters' whereabouts were unknown until he crashed 12 hours later in Irvington, N.J.

Junco Salters was stabbed multiple times, including four penetrating wounds to her abdomen and torso, Byrne said, with one of the wounds going through cartilage and into her heart.

Abramson argued that $1 million was an unreasonable amount.

"Given his injuries and his conditions, as we can all see," Abramson said, "Mr. Salters is not a flight risk."

Freehill set bail at $1 million cash or $3 million bond. Salters was taken by ambulance to Orange County Jail until his next court date Aug. 28.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler was in court for the arraignment.

"This case is a stark reminder of the horrors of domestic violence," Hoovler said afterward. "We intend to treat all cases of domestic violence as serious matters. Hopefully, before they rise to this level."